I'm going to cry!!

[fasthunter]

I dried up my morels that I got the other day. I only ate four as a snack and was saving the others for a nice meal with steaks. I hung them up and they dried completely. Then I put them in a container in the cupboard with a ziplock just covering the top. Then I get home and notice the container in the sink. I look up and there's another container with a lid on it. My wife switched containers, but there must have been humidity in it or something. I opened it up to find soggy, moldy, rotten morels:(:(:(:(:( This SUCKS!!! I know it's not her fault. Maybe I did something wrong too. I don't know. How would I prevent such tragedy from happening in the future?

[twohats]

I have never dried them, so I dont know. I always cook them up partialy in butter and wine. I then feez them in quart zip lock bags with the butter, wine mix that I cooked them in. I then just thaw and dump them in a fry pan when I use them. They always come out great.

[fasthunter]

I was doing some thinking. Do you think I should have cut them down the middle before I dried them? They were shriveled and dry when I put them up. Fealt bone dry to the touch, could there have been moisture in the middle that I didn't know about?:help:

[fasthunter]

I have never dried them, so I dont know. I always cook them up partialy in butter and wine. I then feez them in quart zip lock bags with the butter, wine mix that I cooked them in. I then just thaw and dump them in a fry pan when I use them. They always come out great.
I never thought of doing that. I guess I'll consider this a learning experience and just go the route that you said. Risking messed up morels again just isn't worth it to me. I'll saute them next time first then freeze them.

[Boardman Brookies]

I slice the morels in half before I dry them and haven't ever had any problems.

[bigfun]

You know it's not her fault?
You did something wrong?
Your crying?

Good grief, she has you well trained.:evilsmile

Now, she needs to know your a little upset.(please, do not cry)
She also needs to know it is her fault.
And then you will have some leverage to use in the future.:evilsmile

Oh, and dry the shrooms completely before placing in a container. Not doing that was your fault, but do not tell her that.

[Michigan Mike]

I always cut them down the middle and use a dehydrator on the lowest setting and then check them after they cool for an hour before I put them in a ziplock.
Don't store near the stove, sink or dishwasher and they are usually good for a couple of years.
Partially saute and freeze is a good option but not enough room
in the freezer to hold that many.

Mike

[wyle_e_coyote]

Oh it IS all her fault!!! :lol:

[jbing]

"Good grief, she has you well trained.:evilsmile

Now, she needs to know your a little upset.(please, do not cry)
She also needs to know it is her fault.
And then you will have some leverage to use in the future.:evilsmile

Oh, and dry the shrooms completely before placing in a container. Not doing that was your fault, but do not tell her that."


:bash::yeahthat:

[cab n woods]

I bought a cheap dehydrator , dries them well , no problems with not being dry enough.

[Mitchell Ulrich]

"....using a porcupine quill or bone awl, a hole was pushed through the stem then strung onto a sinew string, then were hung up and stored in a dry area of the lodge until needed...."

Thats all that I have ever done, I figured if it worked back then I see no reason to change it.

Mitch

[Firecracker]

I been drying them for years never had that happen... also I check on mine everytime I go int he pantry ( every day) just to make sure Noone gets * an attitude* in there.

I would say you did not have them dried all the way OR where did you store them? Remember the higher you put them the more *heat* they get... AKA moisture might set in.

[Oldgrandman]

They gotta be paper dry. Humidity is bad at any time, gotta be airtight.
I dry most of mine whole, not cut in half except for the whites. All larger darks I eat fresh too, so I don't dry those. I check every one as I count it and slice it at any sign of infestation. And as long as the stem is open on the whole ones they'll dry fine bugless. Drying technique matters too.

[fasthunter]

No from what I read it's my fault. I figured I'd get harped on though:lol::lol::lol:. I stored them in the cupboard above the stove too.:banghead3 I'm going to do this DIFFERENTLY next time!! I feel like I lost a kid.....(In a way:lol:) I love my morels!:lol:

[axisgear]

Don't beat yourself up too bad about it,there's always next spring for the morels. BTW,Shroomie season has JUST begun!;)

[Frantz]

I have never had any real luck drying anything. I got in the habit of vacuum sealing and freezing. Even with your drying Chris, I would look at investing in a good vacuum sealer.

Sorry to hear about you losing all the shrooms though, I was looking forward to eating some of them.

[wyle_e_coyote]

Wait...now that I think about it...it was your fault. You left them out where a woman could screw them up. :lol:

[fasthunter]

Wait...now that I think about it...it was your fault. You left them out where a woman could screw them up. :lol:
Careful, my wife hangs out on here sometimes too. She might come after you!!:yikes::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[fasthunter]

I have never had any real luck drying anything. I got in the habit of vacuum sealing and freezing. Even with your drying Chris, I would look at investing in a good vacuum sealer.

Sorry to hear about you losing all the shrooms though, I was looking forward to eating some of them.
Hey, Frantz how's it going? I do have a vaccum sealer that we got for a wedding gift. I vaccum seal and freeze just about everything!! I didn't know morels froze good though. I'm going to do the saute and freeze thing with the morels from now on.

[fasthunter]

Don't beat yourself up too bad about it,there's always next spring for the morels. BTW,Shroomie season has JUST begun!;)
True, I'm still looking for morels on Friday and hitting up my mother-in-laws back yard this weekend. Next week.........Oyster mushrooms, and I'll keep an eye out for shaggy manes. (I'm interested in learning about parasols too whenever they grow?) Starting in July Black Trumpets, then Chanterelles, then a little later chickens, stumpers, hens, puffballs, ect. I do still have ALOT of shrooms to pick. It's a great excuse for going on a hike getting out of the house as well.:)

[Oldgrandman]

Don't beat yourself up too bad about it,there's always next spring for the morels. BTW,Shroomie season has JUST begun!;)

Morel season is hanging in there still, I am done and back at work but I like the other roons too. Even just finding and photographing the ones I don't consume.
Meadow mushrooms are the ones I wanna get into, they start up soon if I remember right. Never tried for em yet but am giving it thought. I mean someone I know says "they're better than morels" so I thought I'd look into em :)
BTW I lost some morels once fasthunter, $#!+ happens!:sad:

[hardwaterfan]

sorry if i missed it in any replies but the container you used isnt good for long term storage of dried food. you need to buy a 6-pack of quart jars, make sure they come with the screw top thing and gasketed lids. otherwise buy them seperately. (the gasket is that little orange ring of plasticky looking material) once you put the lid on and screw the ring down tight, no moisture will ever get in there. but if they rotted that fast i dont think they were 100% dried. you are into hot peppers, you can do the same thing with them. pretty neat looking actually, with the different colors of peppers. you might think about investing in a cheap dehydrator. im not talking big money, maybe $40 for a dehydrator and $10 for 6 quart jars. (cant remember exactly). dried peppers should explode when you squeeze them. just break into dust.

well, good luck.

[fasthunter]

Morel season is hanging in there still, I am done and back at work but I like the other roons too. Even just finding and photographing the ones I don't consume.
Meadow mushrooms are the ones I wanna get into, they start up soon if I remember right. Never tried for em yet but am giving it thought. I mean someone I know says "they're better than morels" so I thought I'd look into em :)
BTW I lost some morels once fasthunter, $#!+ happens!:sad:
Are these meadow mushrooms Shaggy Manes, or Parasols........or neither.:help::) Also, yeah I learned my lesson. The hard way stinks!!:lol: At least I have some more.:)

[fasthunter]

sorry if i missed it in any replies but the container you used isnt good for long term storage of dried food. you need to buy a 6-pack of quart jars, make sure they come with the screw top thing and gasketed lids. otherwise buy them seperately. (the gasket is that little orange ring of plasticky looking material) once you put the lid on and screw the ring down tight, no moisture will ever get in there. but if they rotted that fast i dont think they were 100% dried. you are into hot peppers, you can do the same thing with them. pretty neat looking actually, with the different colors of peppers. you might think about investing in a cheap dehydrator. im not talking big money, maybe $40 for a dehydrator and $10 for 6 quart jars. (cant remember exactly). dried peppers should explode when you squeeze them. just break into dust.

well, good luck.
Yeah, my wife and I are planning on buying a dehydrator pretty soon. Also, yeah I'm DEFINITELY into ULTRA hot peppers!!:evil: She said she saw one for about 40 bucks. I do have some canning jars with the gaskets that you were mentioning as well. I'll use those for the batch I have now. I'm letting these dry longer, I cut them in half, and they are in front of a fan. They look more shriveled than the last ones I had which means my last batch was still wet in the middle. I guess I didn't know.:( Good now though.:cool:

[woodie slayer]

IF THEY HAD MOLD THEY WEREN'T DRY WHEN YOU PUT THEM UP.
SORRY ABOUT the caps lock.
try again only give a few more days

[Pikealunge]

When I get morels the firstthing I do is slice them in half, evict the residents inside and the put then a container of water in the fridge. If I ever get a lot in a season I will fry them up and and freeze the in ziplock freezer bags. Nothing like morels with fresh venison or any time you want some. Just take them out and warm'em up iin a frying pan ;)

Rick

[Oldgrandman]

Are these meadow mushrooms Shaggy Manes, or Parasols........or neither.:help::) Also, yeah I learned my lesson. The hard way stinks!!:lol: At least I have some more.:)

They are a new one on me, but I wanna learn :). They are different than the parasols or shaggys and come up earlier. Being 'green' to this species I can offer little help other than what my book says and that isn't enough for me. I hope to get my former co-worker and sometimes walleye fishing buddy to school me on them :chillin:. He is still alive and swears they are really good eating. Just gotta hook up with him on it when they pop.

[Michigan Mike]

I usually don't see meadow mushrooms aka pink bottoms (Agaricus Campestris) until September/October.
Although with this cool weather you might find a few that think it's fall.
Then there is the spring agaricus aka Torks that are similar in taste that come up over the next month. (Agaricus Bitorquis)
Both are great tasting imo.

Mike

[Oldgrandman]

I usually don't see meadow mushrooms aka pink bottoms (Agaricus Campestris) until September/October.
Although with this cool weather you might find a few that think it's fall.
Then there is the spring agaricus aka Torks that are similar in taste that come up over the next month. (Agaricus Bitorquis)
Both are great tasting imo.

Mike

Hmmm, my buddy was showing me some he got in late June-July before (at least if I remember right). But maybe he was wrong on his species, as I said it's a new one to me and I am just looking into it. Taking no chances and being very cautious about it. And my book says late summer also, and may be the source of our commercial mushrooms we now buy at the store. And that there is an earlier variety of the type he may have meant.
I certainly will post on what I find if anything though.
Thanks for the info Mike.

[fasthunter]

They are a new one on me, but I wanna learn :). They are different than the parasols or shaggys and come up earlier. Being 'green' to this species I can offer little help other than what my book says and that isn't enough for me. I hope to get my former co-worker and sometimes walleye fishing buddy to school me on them :chillin:. He is still alive and swears they are really good eating. Just gotta hook up with him on it when they pop.
I'm VERY cautious with new shrooms myself. I was just curious. I don't even know what a meadow mushroom looks like. That's why I don't eat them...........Well.......down the road when I 100% without a doubt know I will though. Also, you guys I've been cutting my morels in half when I found them and let them dry in front of a fan for a couple day. I just rehydrated some last night and had them with steak, asparagus, shrimp scampi, and mashed potato's. Man that stuff was GOOD!!!:D

[I'm with Brandy]

I keep mine in paper bags after they have been dried.